The recent suicides of two students has put the spotlight on how students are battling to survive and while trying to put on a happy face for their family and friends around them, they slipping into depression.
Statistically the number of students that have committed suicide has risen 50%, with the current recession and increase in costs for students coupled with the hardships of obtaining a job after studying, it is understandable that students are feeling more pressurized, the question we should all be asking is why is no one recognizing the signs and trying to reach out to the troubled students?
Suicide is the leading cause of death in people between the ages of 18 and 24 in the UK, while parents worry about their children becoming drug addicts, getting involved in a life of crime or being mugged they are neglecting to open the doors of communication so that their children feel free to discuss all their issues and concerns!
Students and children often feel that they have to excel, and put more pressure on themselves to impress their parents because they believe this is what their parents want from them, parents push their children, especially the introverts. When students are faced with debts they can feel over whelmed and lose all ability to cope, many students are worried about their student loans and the cost of living rising on a monthly basis only adds to their dilemma.
The counselors, help lines and other services available to students are wanting to become more proactive in their visibility and obtain-ability, as a parent what you can do is encourage your children to discuss all their concerns with someone that they feel they can trust.
To read the full article on how debt is a major factor in student depression and subsequent suicides click here.
I don’t think it’s a problem of people not recognizing the signs of depression. The real problem is that a lot of these extreme cases of depression are – in fact – situational. Jobs are scarce and opportunities for graduates are nonexistent. We’re all being thrust into an economy that doesn’t want us, and if we dare complain, we’re told we have lousy attitudes and maybe we should have studied more lucrative subjects in college – as though everyone is suited for a career in IT or engineering. Meanwhile, the rent everywhere is too damn high, and a lot of us are giving up on the idea of having children – they’re just too expensive, so we’re preparing ourselves for lives of solitude and poverty. Yes, it sounds awful and it’s easy to get carried away with it, but given all these factors, why wouldn’t people – especially new or recent graduates – feel hopeless? The question we really need to ask ourselves is – when did all the opportunities for young people disappear and why? What can we as a society do to forge a path for our 20-and-30-somethings who are just struggling to survive day-to-day? What hope do any of our young people have if we’ve robbed them of a real future?